


Rain

by Ascella_Star



Series: Eternal Rains Will Come [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mention of Sailor V Manga, Post-Canon, Slow Build, Slow Burn, mention of Casablanca Memories, mention of other side stories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-28 18:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3864976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ascella_Star/pseuds/Ascella_Star
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The rain reminded him of ancient times, times of swords and princesses; of magic and castles... Life was not entirely fair, because if it was, his generals would have had the same opportunity to start again as himself or the Senshi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Looking at the Rain behind the window

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Lluvia](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6451954) by [Ascella_Star](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ascella_Star/pseuds/Ascella_Star). 



### Looking at the Rain behind the Window 

It was a rainy day. For some people, a resounding warning disaster; slow traffic, buses would surely be overcrowded and if you somehow missed your umbrella, there was no way you could get to your destination intact.

For others it was a blessing; it was the perfect excuse to don't leave the house, watch movies or just spending time with loved ones, talking or doing nothing and everything.

To Mamoru however, it was cause for reflection and sometimes nostalgia.

The rain reminded him of ancient times, times of swords and princesses; of magic and castles ... times where his main concern was to properly comply with established protocols and be on time for training.

Sometimes he was assailed by waves of melancholy, he could clearly remember the jokes Jade made to Zoi or Nephrite strange obsession to consult everything with all the stars ... occasionally he missed the rare but wise advice Kunzite , leader of the Shitennou gave him.

They had been not only his guard, they had been his friends, his confidants, his accomplices ... maybe not blood, but they had really been his brothers. They met at a very young age, and having an age close to the Prince, Zoicite and Jadeite, planned all sorts of mischief ... which was concealed by Nephrite and supervised by Kunzite. If someone discovered them, there was no way to determine who of the 5 came with the idea, because their loyalty was such that everyone preferred to be punished instead of only one bearing the punishment.

Years passed and together they shared their first wine, accompanied by the first party and first hangover in a day of hard training. Together they fought their first battles, strategies were planned and wars ended.

Until Serenity appeared.

The moon princess certainly added flavor to their lives, as she did not come alone. Like Endymion, she had her own guard, who share a link almost as strong as theirs.

Sadly, good things tend to come to an end. Among envy , greed and hate, war broke out ... one by one he saw them fall, one by one he watched them disappear in the battlefield until he was the only one of that group .

Until he saw them again on the night of the final battle. But one look at them, and he knew that those before him were just soulless puppets, manipulated at the whim of an evil witch.

Looking out the window of the balcony, Mamoru couldn't stop thinking about the irony of life. If you ask any of the girls, including his Usako all would say without a doubt that the battle with Beryl, is something they definitely wish had never happened, that the only thing that it brought them was suffering and bad memories ... maybe the only thing good thing was that it helped strengthen the friendship between them ...

But he would not entirely agree. Probably without her being aware of it, Beryl gave him one of the most precious gifts of his life: his Shitennou.

He has never been certain of the circumstances, he can not remember exactly how they got back into his power, his memory as dark prince is almost as diffuse as that of his childhood, but he knew that it was her who gave them. Perhaps as a form of torture , perhaps as a reminder of what would happen to him if he failed, perhaps simply because she had no other use for them and would not bother to destroy them... the truth was that he got back the four stones that contained their souls... and has not been separated from them since.

He smiled, remembering the first time their spirits manifested themselves through the rocks. He was worried about not finding a solution to deal with the new enemy, the situation with the pink haired little girl so similar to Usako, and later discovery of her identity as their future daughter, he was highly stressed... he strongly desired to discuss things with Kunzite, who always had a different point of view, or listen to the logic behind Zoicite's words... even a joke or hasty decision by Jadeite...

And that's when he heard them.

Zoicite, Nephrite, Jadeite and Kunzite... all of them in front of him... but without being there. Their souls were being projected through the rocks containing them. Mamoru did not know whether to laugh or cry.

They were really them, he could instantly feel that missing link, just one look he knew though they were not physically there, there were real, not those horrible puppets serving that witch...

He wished he could hug them. But one cannot hug spirits.

Since that day, he consulted with them all of his life major decisions. True, he had other friends, Motoki and Asanuma being the closest... but the camaraderie he shared with his generals was simply irreplaceable.

One day everything changed. One by one they stopped answering his call.

Souls do not die, right?

However, when even Kunzite did not answer, he knew he would never see his old friends again.

It was a rainy day like today... when Chiba Mamoru, hugging a surprised Usagi, wept bitterly, for the first time in centuries for the loss of his friends.

Still looking out the window, and with the rocks of his missing friends in his hand, Mamoru sighed deeply as a treacherous tear rolled down his cheek. It has been about three years since that day... and although the pain was still there, with the help of his now wife, it was slowly healing.

Life was not entirely fair, because if it was, his generals would have had the same opportunity to start again as himself or the Senshi... he just hoped that wherever they were now, his Shitennou would have finally found the peace and happiness they deserved.


	2. Walking in the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lone guy that enjoys waking in the rain makes a reminiscence of his life. While doing it, he encounters someone from his past.  
> A young doctor receives a surprise

### Walking in the Rain

Dark clouds covered the sky, omen of a rain that would not take long to fall; people came and went in search of shelter or rushing to get to their destinations before the storm came.

However, standing in front of the lake, gray eyes lost in the horizon, dressed with military boots, slightly torn jeans, a t-shirt of some Swedish metal band, long platinum hair stirring in the wind and a pair of long earrings in his ears... Hiroshi Saito remained immobile despite that every second the weather worsened and that he would very likely end up drenched from head to toe.

He liked the rain, he could not deny it. He loved the feel of the water falling on his face, or how the wind tried to play with his hair, the cold that same wind caused him when sticking to his body his wet clothes, but for Saito... the rain was a wonderful experience.

Moreover, walking in a storm helped him to think... his best lyrics came amid stormy nights, the most intricate guitar solos had come to his mind same way... however, what he liked the most, was the ability to clear his mind and help him to think.

Just that was the reason behind being there, standing in front of the No. 10 park's lake.

He clearly remembers when he decided to pursue a musical career, along with a business one. Something within him told him from a very early age, that he was destined for great things, so with that clever mind of his, he foresaw not only the required musical training, but also the knowledge for the management of the band.

They began playing in bars, first in little busy days like Wednesday or Thursday, but as they were gaining some popularity, they were getting more important and more crowded days like Friday or even Saturday.

It may sound arrogant of him to admit something like that, but they were really good... good enough that a year after the project started an agent approached them and offering a temporary contract to record a demo, and depending on its acceptance, a contract for a few years and the commitment to record at least two more albums.

In the environment in which they move, the demo was a success, and even outside this circle, their songs were fairly well known. With a smile, Saito recalled how difficult it was to finish his business career, and managing the band at the same time.

You'd think at that time, Saito had everything he wanted... and yet, something was missing in him.

For several years, for a long time during his childhood and some of his adolescent years, something deep inside urged him to look out for something... or someone, he never really knew what it was... he used to have dreams that developed in ancient kingdoms, where he looked himself as king and as a warrior; dreams that usually had no sense at all, but that left him in a very cheerful mood the next day. He had them several times, sometimes he did not remember much of what he dreamed... sometimes had them every night, but others there were weeks without having one of them...

It was a stormy night when the dreams became nightmares, which were stared by a sadistic redhead.

After that day, he did not have those strange dreams again, making him feel lost and leaving him with only a sense of emptiness, as if an important part of him had been taken away.

With the passing of the years he learned to live with it; or at least he thought so, until a week ago, when he again had one of those strange dreams, and that search feeling invaded him again.

Needless to say, because of this was a new guitar solo was born.

And now here he was, trying to decipher this strange feeling, trying to figure out what was what unleashed it again, and what was what his being urged him to seek.

He was walking slowly through the park, enjoying the rain. He was completely lost in his thoughts, with his eyes slightly closed... until someone crashed into him and brought him back to reality.

On the floor in front of him a cute girl with long golden hair with a funny red bow holding it in place...

He helped her to her feet, but when their gazes met, there was some sort of recognition...

_Minako..._

_Kunzite..._

No, the mutual recognition had not been at the same level because where he saw a nice young woman who he met during his high school years, she saw in his gray eyes the remains of a long lost love of a past life.

He greeted her in a friendly manner, taking her by surprise, causing that Saito interpreted it as if she actually did not recognize him, situation that he tried to remedy.

\- Hiroshi Saito, we met some years ago in the road lined with Ginkgo trees, you were a student of Shiba middle high.

Yes, Minako remembered him... and that make her wince internally. Certainly at some point she had the suspicion that "Saito-San" was Kunzite's reincarnation... but being aware that the spirit of the old Shitennou lived in a stone resting on Mamoru's nightstand, she completely ruled out the idea.

Having him back, face to face, with her memories restored, she could not help but shudder at noticing one by one the great similarities between the man before her and the general of her memoirs.

The rain had begun to diminish, so he offered to accompany her to her destination in a small attempt to catch up with their lives.

* * *

 

No, he did not regret anything.

The rain of the previous day had been especially relaxing, plus the encounter with Minako had left him in a particularly good mood; they had even agreed to meet again the next week.

However, this time there was something that rarely happened ... he felt the beginnings of a cold. Maybe that was the only adverse consequence of that strange hobby of walking in the rain to think; even with it, he would not change anything of the night before.

He decided it was a good idea to seek medical care, after all, a sick musician does not perform well ... but it is even worse when said musician is the lead singer and guitarist of the band.

Fortunately, he did not have to wait long to being called to the office of the doctor on duty, who after a couple of knocks on the door authorized the entry.

In front of him there was a guy of about the same age as him, maybe even younger, with short black hair and who was currently reviewing what looked like his clinical record. A badge on his desk read "Dr. Chiba Mamoru ".

The young doctor reminded him of someone... someone important, but he could not pinpoint who or why. It was when the doctor lifted his head that something strange happened.

Sapphire met gray… Saito felt an absolute peace spreading within him. For Mamoru, the surprise of having before him a person who may very well be the carbon copy of his closest Shitennou was enough to make his heart race at incredible speeds.

_Kunzite..._ was the almost inaudible sigh that escaped his lips.

Coming out from his stupor, Saito sat across from Mamoru, who reviewing his role as physician asked him again the reason of his visit.

As the appointment progressed, both felt more comfortable in the presence of the other, as if they were old friends and had not just met each other. Certainly it was obvious for one of them to connect the dots about the real identity of the other... deciding to keep silent and leaving everything to fate.

Finally, if fate was who had brought them together again, even though the future king had long since lost faith to at some point seeing any of his Shitennou again, that same fate would be responsible for crossing their paths again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your Kudos!
> 
> There are some mentions for the Sailor V Manga (Saito and MInako's past in The Road lined with Ginkgo trees, in case you were wondering)


	3. Starfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young astrophysic reminisce his past while planing an astronomical fair; said fair at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan leads to some unexpected encounters.

### Starfall

It was a perfect evening. The sky was clear, there wasn’t a lot of wind, the weather felt cool; it was simply the perfect time to spend a pleasant moment outdoors.

Everything seemed to be in his favor; after months of painstaking planning, sleeplessness, stress and gallons of coffee, finally his favorite night in the year had arrived.

Since he was a little kid, he was always fascinated by the stars, by the secrets they hid and the beauty that they held; there was nothing he loved more than to lie on the grass and look at the sky, wondering if there could be life beyond... he remembered his father who in endless camping nights, he listed one by one the different constellations in the sky, and the various legends behind each one.

His father was an educated man, a man with understanding of the world, and with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He was the one who incited him to learn more and more about everything that interested him... and when the time came, the one who wholeheartedly supported him when he decided to study Astrophysics.

He could still remember the excitement he felt during his first year of College; he could still recall the fascination that his Applied Physics classes produced him. With a sad smile, he also remembered how all this happiness did not last as long as he would have wanted. A few months before finishing his second term of classes, a car accident claimed the life of his father, leaving him in a coma for about six months.

Closing his eyes in disgust, Satoru remembered, perhaps too vividly the strange dream that constantly repeated itself in his mind during those months. He saw himself as a warrior and as a king, in some kind of ancient kingdom, swearing allegiance along with three other men to a fourth one; he saw trainings, action in battlefields or them laughing happily in what he was certain was a great palace. However, he could not make out their faces... perhaps during his slumber he could discern them, but once he awoke, he just remembered silhouettes or shadows... shadows of all but a strange redhead with a sadistic smile that starred the last images of his strange dream... images that were strong enough that ultimately woke him out of the coma.

Coma recovery was slow, and the consequent depression, immense... for the first time in his life, Mori Satoru was completely alone.  
For some time he felt lost, all his illusions and ideals lost their previous appeal, not to mention the emptiness he felt deep down in his soul. He knew something was missing ... but did not know what.

Between career friends and some girls who sought to gain his attention, he was slowly recovering his footing, those circumstances leading to today, when he now became the head of the Science Diffusion Department of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

Focusing again in his current work, while coordinating the correct distribution of the event, the proper installation of telescopes and the snacks that would be offered to the visitors, Satoru wondered... What am I looking for this time around?

He had dear friends, friendly colleagues and although he did not have a special someone, that was not something he worried too much about..., he knew that the right one, if she existed, would eventually come when the time was right. So... why did he still feel that strange emptiness in his soul? Emptiness that also came rigged with a strange need to look for something; need that he considered as insane, because as we already stated, Satoru was quite content with his life.

\- You seem distracted, Sempai – Asanuma Ittou, a young physicist, from the observatory addressed him.

\- It's nothing, just mentally reviewing the “to do” list – he said smiling slightly, while seeing as his young companion materialized out of nowhere a little red book, in which he constantly wrote down everything that interested him.

\- By the way, do you know who will be your special guest or guests? – Satoru said while arming the latest telescopes. With this the tasks of the day were over, at least for the young Asanuma; Satoru on the other hand, should still inspect that the event went flawless.

\- Yes, Mamoru, a former high school friend and his wife Usagi, I also invited Makoto and my brother, but neither of them has confirmed though.

\- Your old Sempai, the beautiful Makoto, and your elusive older brother? This sounds promising! I hope this time I finally have the pleasure of meeting those important people in your life boy. –

\- Mori-san! Besides... there’s nothing that could happen between Makoto and me... she is part of something bigger and more important... - with a distant gaze finally Asanuma was silent... pretending to be busy with something else, leaving an intrigued Satoru behind.

* * *

 

Huh?

It was all Mamoru could muster to answer his wife... then again her request was completely unexpected.

Asanuma’s invitation to the Night of the Stars had been in their plans for weeks, Usako could not stop talking about it, and how excited she was to go to said event. That is, until a few days ago, when Makoto hinted about her possible attendance after being invited by a very nervous Ittou himself. Since then, his little wife looked thoughtful, and seemed to have a thousand questions in her mind, questions that she seemed afraid to ask ... until now that is.

The moment he arrived home, he knew something was up ... Usagi was a mess in the kitchen, and yet there on the table was what seemed like a delicious dinner, then looking to the kitchen, it was unharmed...

The fact that there was wine on the table lit all of his internal alarms. But when dessert came in the form of a fabulous chocolate mouse, he immediately knew that whatever it was, he would not like it at all.  
That was why, when his beautiful Usako began to question him about Asanuma and his intentions for Makoto, Mamoru could not help but say a simple "Huh?"

It is true that for a moment, he was relieved that it was only that, but after a brief moment of reflection, he realized that in fact, did not know how he could answer her. He had always known that his friend had some sort of admiration and respect for the lady in question, however he did not know whether that was just admiration, or if he secretly harbored some kind of affection towards the warrior.

Explaining her that, and suggesting to simply leave things alone and look how things would unfold, Mamoru continued to enjoy the exquisite dessert... and the company of his lovely wife; later they could prepare themselves for the event in question.

 

* * *

 

When they arrived at the event, Usagi and Mamoru realized that there were many more people than expected. However, thanks to the VIP tickets Asanuma had given them, they could access more quickly; Not to mention that such tickets would serve as access pass to a couple of specialized telescopes that were part of the observatory equipment.

They would be seeing Makoto somewhere near the entry point, though after fifteen minutes of waiting, they decided to send her a text message asking her to warn them upon her arrival and that they would be close by, seeing some exhibitions.

They started looking at some art, this ranging from beautiful paintings to strange sculptures, and they also briefly approached one or two of the workshops.

They were about to enter a tent that was announcing a special conference which took Mamoru’s attention, and that would be given by M.S. Mori Satoru, when Makoto’s arrival message came to Usagi’s mobile.

She noticed that this conference was important to her husband, so cheerfully she told him that she would go and find her friend, and that he could stay and listen and when it was over, he could call her.

Upon entering the auditorium, he noticed that the place was pretty full, situation that actually no longer surprised him; whoever was responsible for the diffusion, he did an excellent job.

He settled for a standing space in the background, and after a few minutes, it finally began. One by one the scientists who presented the conference appeared, some older than the others, but which was later identified as Satoru Mori was the one that most caught his attention ... there was something about the long brown wavy haired man that disturbed him; when the conference began, the voice of the scientist talking about stars and comets spooked something at the bottom of his memory... but he opted to leave it alone and just enjoy the conference.

Unaware of this, said scientist, for the first time in many years, felt a strange nervousness going through his being. He did not really know why, he knew the information inside out and he was certain that the event was a success. Strangely, said nervousness was forgotten when he stepped on the podium and began his speech.

* * *

 

The conference was fabulous. The young scientist had an excellent command and instead of using big words that only the scientific community would understand, his speech was full of simple sentences and clear examples for any audience.

Mamoru left the auditorium with a huge smile.

Just as he was about to call his wife, a familiar voice stopped him. Asanuma had found him, and being full of enthusiasm, he literally dragged Mamoru to meet a great friend of his from the Observatory.

While waiting for whoever Ittou would like to introduce him to, he finally took notice of the absence of the two missing females, Mamoru’s wife and her friend. Just when he commented that the first went in search of the second and that they would find each other later, the same young scientist from the conference approached them.

Tall, reddish brown hair, deep green eyes, wearing a pair of gray pants and a black shirt, Mori Satoru was formally introduced to a now speechless Chiba Mamoru.

After his encounter with Hiroshi "Kunzite" a couple of months ago in the hospital, the possibility of finding again his old Shittenou morphed from a dream or some silly desire, to a great possibility. Having his General of the North American Regions in front of him, was like a dream come true.

For his part, as he approached his companion, Satoru felt that strange nervousness return, but when being face to face with the former superior of his friend, something inside of him finally made sense and relief overcame him. Departing from its temporary stupor, he shook the hand that the other offered him, but something inside him asked him to do something more, so he laced their arms in a different greeting, causing a gasp of surprise on Mamoru, who clearly remembered this as the private greeting between him and his Shittenou.

Seeing the surprised reaction that his own surprise caused, Mamoru smiled and tried to clear the awkward moment, praising his work and congratulating him for the awesome conference, the other man answering with gratitude and also jumping into the conversation, one that went from their common friend, i.e. Asanuma, to personal interests and religious and political beliefs.

Anyone who saw them would think they were long time friends... and not that they had just met. Then again, maybe they were, although one of them was unaware of it.

Unfortunately the talk had to come to an end because one's attention was required in a tent, while the other, had a wife to find.

* * *

The night had finally come to an end. The only ones there were the organizers who were making the final evaluations and obviously putting away all the materials used in the workshops and public exhibitions.

\- It seems I’m a bit too late. – A young blond with blue eyes, and average height approached them with a mischievous smile. For a moment the closer scientists looked at him with suspicion; that is, until the cry of "Brother, you came!" by a cheerful Ittou relaxed them.

Behind him, a curious Satoru approached them; the oldest of the Asanuma’s was one of the two important people for his friend who he hadn’t met tonight, the mysterious Yusaku had a reputation that preceded him, ittou kept talking about him, however, no matter how strong efforts were made, it was very difficult to have both brothers to meet in any circumstance and place. The fact that the older one had managed to get to the event, even if it was when it was over, spoke volumes of the greatest affection he had for the younger.

\- You must be Mori-san; my little brother cannot stop talking about you. Nice to meet you, I’m Asanuma Yusaku – he outstretched his hand and put a smile on his face; Yusaku decided to introduce himself before someone else did. Taking the offered hand, and answering the smile with one of his own, Satoru responded – Indeed I am, and it happens that also Ittou usually talks a lot about you, but please call me just Satoru.

Both looked up, and when they did, something inside them was set in motion; a spark of energy ran through them and they somehow knew that this was not the first time they had seen each other, and neither would be the last. They did not know exactly what happened, but whatever it was, in seconds it was over.

Finally looking away, Yusaku asked his brother if he was ready to leave, he wanted to treat him to dinner somewhere. After receiving the approval from his peers, both retired, but not before the older Asanuma sent a last inquisitive look at the scientist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, Thanks for your Kudos!
> 
> some references used during the chapter:
> 
> Ittou Asanuma is a Character from Sailor Moon Manga, (he also appeared briefly in Crystal) he is friends with Mamoru and yes, he is the one I referred to in chapter one.
> 
> The Night of the Stars is an event that at least here in my country is celebrated each year. The Astronomy Institute is the one hosting and coordinating it along the country. It is supposed to be held internationally.
> 
> M.S. is the abbreviation for Master in Science.


	4. Under the Weeping Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wedding invitation that triggers some long forgotten memories. A destructive relationship that allows an encounter with the past.

### Under the Weeping Moon

Morning breeze, sunlight was filtering through the trees timidly. Gradually, the city wakes up, and among its citizens, the inhabitants of a Shinto temple in Sendai Hill. Anyone who knows of the temple knows that this is not a temple that has a large staff, but that the few people who live or work there, are honest and hardworking. There is also a rumor that the resident Miko, is quite skilled, possessing real spiritual powers and that she is able to give a correct interpretation of the sacred flames.

Said priestess, who goes by the name of Hino Rei, was currently sweeping a few leaves that were in the entrance of the temple. This, you could say, was part of a daily routine that any casual observer could quickly decipher.

However, what no casual observer and even someone who really cares to observe closely, could not really find out, were the thoughts of said lady, which were beyond the perimeter of the temple. Or maybe, in fact, were in their room, and in the letter that arrived yesterday.

For years she knew, there was no date that does not arrive or deadline that is not met. And in this case, being completely honest with herself, this spam of time was longer than expected. The sealed envelope that arrived yesterday was nothing more than the invitation to the wedding reception of Mr. Kaidou, the assistant of his father.

In the same line of honesty, Rei admitted that the pain and jealousy she felt years ago when she discovered the lies sprout out by him, and his subsequent commitment had disappeared completely, in fact, what she felt inside her this time was more of a feeling of closure. While her attraction to him had decreased over the years, in his mind more than once was formulated scenarios, different variations of the facts and how they might have resulted.

In the end, she realized that she could not continue living in the past, and as she promised herself some years ago, she would not be ruminating on the past. She must look to the future and enjoy every moment that life offered.

Some time later, with her memories of the Silver Millennium newly recovered, she broke that promise thinking, not of Kaidou, but of another blond, with beautiful blue eyes and a mischievous smile. Now that she thinks about it, maybe her attraction to Kaidou, was nothing more than a reflection of what in another life she felt for Jadeite.

Clearing those thoughts from her mind, and having finished her morning chores, she set out to change her clothes and start her day. Once in her room, again she looked at the invitation resting quietly at her desk. With a smile, she decided to honor this promise and live from day to day.

She will be attending the wedding.

* * *

 

She really didn't know why she is still doing it.

She knew that this would happen from the very moment she answered the phone call and heard his voice. She knew that the moment he invited her to eat something, she would not refuse. She knew the exact time of their date and that as always, she would ask for the window table.

And she also knew that he would not come.

No, this was not the first time he did it. In five years she had fallen into the same trick over and over again. Sometimes, if she had any luck, a text message would enter her mobile; said message would be full of silly apologies and excuses for being unable to arrive. Then she would ask for her bill of the coffee she had asked beforehand and retire from the place.

It was always the same routine.

With a yawn of boredom, she asked herself for the umpteenth time why she endured such abuse. She was a strong, beautiful and successful woman, after all, her bakery was the best in town, she had amazing girlfriends and coupled with that and although not outside in public domain, she was a warrior who fought for peace... you could almost say she had everything... except that there was a little voice in her mind that keep repeating over and over again, that in the reality what she had, was fear. Kino Makoto, Sailor Jupiter, businesswoman and friend, was afraid of loneliness.

Because after all, having good friends, great adventures and money was not everything in this life. Because sometimes she longed to get home with the knowledge that there will be someone there for her, waiting for her and wanting to share things with her; she wanted someone to laugh with and go meet new worlds, someone so like her, but so different that complements her. Because she wanted someone to lean on, someone with a shoulder ready to catch her tears and hugged her until she felt infinitely better.

She wanted someone like Usagi's Mamoru. Or, even if she doesn't know him personally, someone like Minako's Hiroshi.

With this in mind, and with an empty coffee cup, she decided to continue with the routine, paying her bill and leaving the place.

She started walking without apparent destination; her feet were guiding her along unknown paths. Step by step, and lost in the depths of her thoughts, crossing busy or lonely streets, parks or malls. It doesn't matter; she just wanted to let her mind wander until it went blank.

This situation led her to ignore the pedestrian red light.

Later, Makoto could just remember three things. The horn of a car that was coming straight to her, a sharp blow to her side together with the arms of a stranger, and then opening her eyes to find an unknown and yet strangely familiar green eyes.

\- Are you all right? – A deep voice, tinged laced with concern was talking to her. That voice... those eyes... she knows who this is... but she is so confused, numb enough to not know from where.

With a slight nod, Makoto tried to stand... only to fail miserably and again to be supported by the friendly guy who apparently rescued her from a certain death... a death that would have come all because she wasn't thinking.

\- If you do not mind, for your health and my peace of mind, I would like you to see a doctor. There is a hospital not far from here, and I would like to accompany you.

And then Makoto recognized him. Those green eyes, the long wavy hair, and the frank smile, one of the few men who could boast of being taller than her... one of those people that she thought she would never see in this life again.

_Nephrite..._

Seeing her surprise and misinterpreting her reaction, with that same smile that her reminded of another life, he proceeded to introduce himself – My apologies, you must think I'm some kind of crazy stalker. My name is Mori Satoru. If it is not rude to ask, what is your name? – leaving the stupor that had her submerged for the second time that day, and trying to keep her voice from betraying the sea of emotions and thoughts that crossed her being in that moment, Makoto responded both to the question of the name, and the request for the check up at the nearby hospital, declining the later.

\- In that case, how about I treat you a coffee? I saw a very cosy place in my way here and I would like to try it. Are you up to? – She got a great desire to have a huge laugh coming from the depths of her soul. To think that she landed herself in this situation precisely because a failed date at a Café, but more because of respect for the gentleman before her, and because she wanted to prevent him to think she was crazier than a goat, she contained herself, instead giving him a small but sincere smile as she answered – I would love to. –

 

* * *

Annoyance.

There was no better word to describe what this day was to him. He had left his alarm sound more than five times before deciding to get out of bed and still he did not feel the slightest will of doing so.

He finally gave up and after battling with the sheets, stood up. It was then he saw on the nightstand the reason of the immense annoyance of the day, a wedding's invitation.

A Wedding. Just imagining it caused him immense bout of nausea; God! Who does such a glitzy party for an affair that is certainly private? Of course, being who they were, they could not settle with just making the respective changes in the family books.

And above it all, it was a Western-styled wedding, with a priest, a chapel and other shenanigans. He could almost see the place packed with snooty people, thinking they were better than the rest of the world just because they have a better social or economic position, Men who only know how to talk about how to expand their fortunes and false women who only speak fashion or the newest gossip; sure enough there would be lots of reporters covering every corner of the event to the smallest detail, trying to get the best note... a complete circus.

However, he had an obligation to be there. Perhaps if anyone else had asked him to go, he would have outright refused... but not him. He owed him too much, after everything that had happened.

The memory was still fresh in his mind. A few years ago, when there was a young Yusaku freshly out of college. His parents were proud of him and he could see worship in the eyes of his little brother. He had graduated with honors and had a job offer in one of the largest law firms in Tokyo.

Everything was going as planned and he hoped everything would just continue as such.

He began his working life with one or other family affair, alimony, or child custody, nothing really stressful, but they were things that were gradually gaining him reputation among partners and associates of the firm.

And one day everything changed. He remembers that day clearly, and sometimes he wonders how it would have been if he had refused to take that case. It was his first criminal one, a murder; apparently some guy was accused of murdering his own daughter in a very brutal manner.

He was confident in his abilities and believed in the innocence of his client, so he jumped at the chance to make himself a better name among his colleagues. He was fully involved into the research, looking for all the evidence that would lead him to prove the innocence of his client.

What he was not expecting was that the more he searched, the more he doubted the veracity of this man's history, for everything that he murdered his daughter, this was not his first victim. Unfinished investigations, lawsuits dismissed for lack of evidence, but all of them had one common denominator... torture and subsequent dismemberment. And all pointed to the same person... the one that was introduced to him as a grieving parent and an innocent man who was being accused for a crime he did not commit.

He felt disgusted and decided to confront the client and drop the case. In an ideal world, things would have ended there, Yusaku would continue with his normal life and that guy would find someone else to do the dirty work. But we are not in an ideal world, and as we can imagine, the confrontation did not go as he had planned it.

For many people, a contract for professional services is a blessing, allowing you to charge a fee even if the customer refuses to pay later. To Yusaku, it rather was his undoing. Reminding him that the contract required them to meet each other ends, or face the consequences, and throwing to his face the dishonor the breach involved, Yusaku could only nod his ascent. But if he had any doubts about doing a good job and not condemn his client by "mistake" the guy reminded him that his daughter was not his first victim, and that it depended whether any member of his family were the following unsolved case.

Then it the first Audience came, and with it, also came the best performance of the young lawyer. Confident, convincing in his well prepared arguments, and using all his charisma, he was able to convince the jury of his client's innocence. Only the date of the next audience and sentence summoning remained, and then to pray that the case was closed.

As expected, the judgment was favorable, and although they surely would have to appear before the Court of Appeal, the case was finished. The man was satisfied enough to have paid triple the promised fee. Yusaku was devastated, whatever everybody said, he had convinced the world of the innocence of a bloody murderer, who went unpunished for this and many other crimes, and who now walked calmly through the city. The money in his hands, it was stained with blood.

Guilt and remorse were gradually taking its toll on him, who sought ways around that reality, those feelings. His work no longer satisfied him, he snapped at everyone at home, and without really knowing how, one day he found some relief in alcohol. It started with a few drinks before bed, then a whole bottle; then he added another bottle for breakfast and soon his intoxicated state covered all hours of the day.

The reality did not hurt much, guilt appeared to be wearable, and the regret mingled with the euphoria caused by alcohol... Yusaku felt "at peace", he believed everything began to gradually grow normal again.

Except that in reality everything was collapsing around him slowly. He began to forget appointments, losing audiences, to confuse clients or not properly prepare his arguments. He no longer spoke with his parents, he distanced himself from his friends… he even verbally assaulted his little brother... he just could not stand those eyes anymore, those eyes that once regarded him with great adoration, now filled with disappointment and pain... in his delirium, Yusaku came to think that those eyes also held reproach and censure, that he knew what he had done, and he judged him for it.

Alcohol soon ceased to be an effective palliative. When its effects decreased, his guilt multiplied and the pain returned, which made him consume larger amounts of it until he was left near unconsciousness. It was then that the visions began. He saw himself as a warrior and as a king, swearing allegiance to another, and then betraying him. He saw himself serving a sadistic redhead, who ordered him to get rid of all his loved ones, he saw himself fighting with a lady with long black hair, who ended his life while she finished his; he saw himself serving the redhead again, fighting with three teenagers... sometimes the redhead mutated into the murderer, and sometimes the teens mutated in his brother or parents... imagination can be a powerful weapon, something that was proven true when the details he read in the research began to take root and mix with his visions... torture and dismemberment... betrayal, death.

To betray or to torture acquaintances and strangers, exponentially increased his guilt, which was now bordering to madness.

With a lump in the throat, Yusaku continued his grooming. He pondered what happened and although he knew it was of no use; more than once his mind conjured a thousand different scenarios, situations that he could have changed in that time of personal darkness; it was while taking a fiery red tie, that his mind shot back to the past. That tie was a present from his little brother gave him, the day he ended his rehabilitation.

With a bitter smile, he recalled how he finally reached the bottom. The line between reality and fantasy was completely diluted in his mind. He could no longer distinguish between the people of the visions and the ones around him. He lost his job because of his negligence and even his parents were close to disown him. It was an angel in the form of his little brother Ittou who finally helped him cope.

Despite the constant abuse to which he was subjected by his older brother, Ittou refused to leave his brother alone to destroy his life; he who was his first idol, his first example, was gradually fading... and nobody really knew why.

He made it his mission and purpose to help him, he had no idea how to do it, but his brother would shine with the same intensity as he did in other times.

The recovery was slow and tortuous, but with the immense love and support from his brother, Yusaku was successful. His sanity returned, and even if the guilt never really disappeared, he could now understand that things happened that way, and that he acted in the best possible way given the circumstances to protect what was most dear to him.

The last step in recovery was to gain again his personal and professional credibility, and with the same tie that he was wearing today with a mixture of love and pride, he went to his former employer, to request a new opportunity, explaining the circumstances of his previous failure.

It was not an easy task, but the old lawyer Hanada, chose to believe in him again, warning him that this would be his only chance. He would be in trial mode for a few months before accepting him completely back in their ranks and that his performance would determine the final decision. Fortunately until today, Mr. Hanada had not regretted his decision.

He was the one who extended an invitation to the wedding of his daughter, with Senator's Hino "Successor".

Finally wearing his best suit, with the invitation in hand and killer smile, Yusaku headed on to what promised to be the most annoying evening of his life.

* * *

 

He had to admit that the "religious" ceremony wasn't that bad. The chapel was adorned with white roses and it was a sight to behold; the "priest" had dedicated his sermon preach about to eternal love, and the mutual support that should be provided. If he was honest, and he always tried to be, the reading of the letter of St. Paul, was particularly nice.

But much to his chagrin, the nice and quiet part of the event was over. It was time to make way for the main attraction, or as he had already named it, "The Circus".

The event was to take place in a garden located downtown, and it was decorated with white and red motifs; in the center of each table, a floral arrangement that not only wore the same white roses that decorated the church, but they were accompanied with some sort of red Liliaceous.

And it is at this stage that performs the show; The first phase, "The Catwalk", which consisted in observing one by one the arrival of each guest who were gradually appearing; he could appreciate the effort that each one made in bringing the best outfit, or the most striking dress, the more ostentatious jewelry or the most "innovative" hairstyle. Men and women, who exhibited their companions as if they were another accessory of sorts.

Almost simultaneously, phase 2 was going on, also known as "The Kiss of Judas". What was this? Simple, as people were arriving, the critic murmurs began criticizing if the color is favors them or not, or if that was not the some guy's wife, but when acquaintances greeted themselves, they made it with fake smiles and compliments to the previously criticized things.

For Yusaku, all that frivolity was repulsive, and he had to continually remember himself why he had agreed to attend this wedding... he decided to focus on the glass with soda currently in his hand, and to patiently wait for the food to be served.

Concentrated as he was in everything and anything, he suddenly noticed a change of tune in the murmurs; rather than being critical or disapproving, they were rather surprised, whoever has come, was not someone they were expecting to see. He decided to look up and he found a beautiful creature with long black hair, which had a regal air, she was wearing a red dress in different materials and colors, with matching shoes and accessories in gold and black. There was just one word in Yusaku's mind at seeing her: Fire.

And that woman of fire was heading right towards him. Or rather, she was walking to the general area where he was standing.

For the first time that evening, Yusaku decided he needed to socialize a bit with the people who were around him, he just had to know who the mysterious lady was. To his great disappointment, he learned that she was nor more nor less than the only daughter of Senator Hino. Surely a spoiled child, another pretty face with little brain... one more frivolous woman to join the party... so he chose to ignore her altogether.

And so time went by, Yusaku choose not to only eat and drink soda or any non alcoholic drink he was offered, but also and out of sheer boredom, he chose to dance a few times with one lady or another, discreetly checking his watch, trying to decide the right time to withdraw from the party.

Just when he figured it was a great time to flee, a hand was laid on his shoulder, startling him in the act, and forcing him to turn around and face the owner. He found a pair of brown eyes, white hair and the good-natured smile of Mr. Hanada, who after claiming he had not seen him throughout the whole event, urged him to follow him, because he had to meet someone very important... there, standing side by side, were his daughter and her husband, the infamous Mr. Kaidou.

The presentations were brief and cordial; sincerely, Yusaku wasn't up to provide extra entertainment to the circus. He had always thought of Rin as a nice girl, and the few times he got to exchange words with her, he could tell she it was somewhat smart and that she was madly in love with her fiancé, now husband... who now that was face to face wit him, he didn't seem as incredible, not even half of what Rin had described previously.

He perceived some Movement on the periphery of his gaze, which alerted him of the upcoming arrival of a third and fourth person; Senator Hino who was accompanied by who hours before he discovered to be his only daughter.

And the first thing he noticed just by one look, was that their family relationship was not exactly in the best terms.

The brunette tried to look calm and aloof, though her eyes betrayed the overwhelming fury that some of his father's comments were causing. The Senator meanwhile, could not hide his annoyance with the same ease, as it was betrayed in the way he frowned slightly or how he clenched hiss fists.

-Ah! There you are! Just in time! Takashi old friend, this is the young man I've told you about, Asanuma Yusaku. Boy, this is Senator Takashi Hino, and this is his beautiful daughter, Rei. –

Yusaku had to admit that now that he was close to her, Rei was prettier than expected; her hair looked beautiful with the golden brooch that he had noticed earlier, and her dress really held her figure... her violet eyes... that were watching him with a mixture of awe and appreciation, perhaps a bit of recognition, which played an invisible fiber inside him, was what most caught his attention. He could swear that he had seen those eyes somewhere else, and in different circumstances.

He noticed the awkward moment that had settled among them, and after exchanging greetings and pleasantries, he took some courage and invited her to dance. Rei wordlessly placed her hand on his and allowed herself to be led to the dance floor.

It was a seemingly quiet waltz, which was the perfect opportunity to talk, the only problem being that neither of them knew what to say. In Rei's mind there was a sea of confusion. Not long ago she was analyzing the strange similarities between Kaidou and Jadeite, and now like a twist of fate, she had them both in the same room, for in her mind there was no doubt that the one who had her currently wrapped in his arms, was precisely the old Shitennou of the East.

By Yusaku's part, there was also some confusion, though not in the same way as the brunette. There was something about her that was very familiar, the way his embrace fitted, like she was made especially for him, as if she belonged right there, in his arms... filled his heart with some nostalgia and warmth.

The song ended, but none of them made any move to separate themselves, they remained in the same position until the next tune, which was of a different pace, and that finally shocked them out of that trance.

-Would it be too bold of me to invite you to the terrace? The environment is growing increasingly stifling.

Loosing her grip and nodding slightly, they both retired from the dance floor. The way to the outside was silent, but oddly this was not an uncomfortable silence. Once fresh air hit their faces, the silence was gone. Yusaku proceeded to introduce himself again, claiming that horrible introduction in front of old ones was not worthy to be remembered, and after various tricks and jokes, he got Rei's first smile of the evening.

They made small talk, after all, despite what Rei's mind and soul told her, they were still a couple of strangers... whether as they had discovered, neither of them really enjoyed these kind of gatherings.

It was starting to get late, so Rei decided that this was a good time to leave. Her initial goal had been met, and except for the odd company that had accompanied her at the end of the evening, she didn't have anything to do there. Telling him her intentions to her companion, he insisted on accompanying her, at least some of her way home.

Finally it was time for goodbyes, a moment that Yusaku used to ask Rei's phone number, she hesitated a bit before throwing caution away and give in, letting Fate decide the results from this chance encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before somebody complains, no, I don't have anything against Yusaku or Makoto. In fact I have a soft spot for both. But you can blame the extra suffering to the weird mood I was while writing this chapter.  
> So… Yusaku/Jadeite is finally here! I hope you liked his chapter.. Although this time the encounter with Mamoru was delayed.  
> One Shitennou left to meet, I wonder how is Zoicite doing?  
> References:  
> \- Mr. Kaidou, his fiancé and Takashi Hino are from the "Casablanca Memory" chapter. You could find it at the end of the 11th book of the manga.  
> \- Rei thinking of Jadeite is from a Shot of mine called "Set Fire to the Rain" (if you want me to upload it, just tell me)  
> \- The red liliaceous are "Blackout Lily" which are the red version of the Casablanca.  
> \- The title of the chapter is from a song by Opeth that I was listening when I began to write this.  
> \- And if you are curious of why honour was so heavy in Yusaku, look out for the Giri Code.  
> And well some good and bad news.  
> Bad news is that this is the last chapter I had already written. But the good news is that I am almost done with the new one, so you should not suffer that long until the next time!


	5. Good times, Bad Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contracts, Reunions, some truths revealed and the fourth Shitennou.

### Good times, Bad times

It had been six months approximately since a joyous Mamoru came home after his shift at the hospital, wearing a dreaming smile and with eyes shining with illusion.

And, even though in that moment panic was settling in the pit of her stomach, now that she reflects on it, Usagi could only laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

Seeing her husband like that certainly worried her, she even felt kind of intimidated, because, what if there was a new female doctor that took all of Mamoru’s attention away with her charming ways and intelligence. Or what if there was a new nurse with a pretty smile and great humour sense that was her husband’s new companion, leaving him quite exited.

What if…

No, it was not possible. She had lots of confidence in her husband and their love, and she simply knew that he was incapable of doing her something like that, so she decided to confront him like the mature woman that she is, and not like the whinny teenager that was only seconds away of taking over her.

So, preparing a quick chocolate mousse, the one that Mako first taught her how to do, she followed him to their bedroom, subtly trying to assess the situation.

Then again, Usagi only had to ask him about his day, for him to completely spill the beans about his suspicious mood.

With a little smile in her face, she remembered how, ignoring all of his appointments and the surgery he was supposed to perform that day, he launched himself into recounting the last part of his day. Apparently he was reluctant to receive one last patient that came just before the shift, but ultimately he decided to receive him and by doing so, he got a mayor surprise because standing in front of him was Hiroshi Saito, a man who Mamoru knew as Kunzite in another time. He told her how they talked about everything and anything, how the former general had made an appointment to treat the beginnings of a cold and how important it was for him to be healthy as part of his career as a musician.

Usagi felt relieved. Firstly because there wasn’t a faceless foe threatening her marriage as she initially suspected and secondly, because even if she knew that Mamoru had several colleagues with whom he has good relationships, and that he also had Ittou and Motoki as close friends, she knew that in the end, he would always miss his Shitennou.

Several days later, Mamoru told her that he just got the notification of a new definitive patient for his regular consults, and that this new patient was precisely Saito.

They met again in several other occasions, slowly developing a friendship between them. At some point, Saito invited them to one of his concerts, which by the way Mamoru enjoyed immensely, Usagi… not quite; in turn they invited him to diner regularly in their apartment.

It was in one of those diners where Usagi learned that he had been dating Minako for quite some time.

On the outside, Usagi feigned ignorance and she simply went along with the topic, as if her friend’s name wasn’t even mentioned. Internally she was utterly disappointed, because even if Minako had told her that she was dating someone, she apparently forgot to mention who exactly that “someone” was. She let it pass for the moment, in hopes that Minako had a really good reason or a very convincing excuse.

Eventually Minako told her.

It was during a cold December evening, in which both friends got together after work to drink some hot cocoa and update each other about the latest gossip. Usagi told her some funny stories about her co-workers and how interesting the night of the Stars had been, obviously failing to mention who lead the conferences and who the organizer was.

Minako in turn told her about the next clothing sales, problems with some of her models and how she was kind of sad because her boyfriend was going to be touring along the country so she wouldn’t be able to see him in about a month. Being as subtle as possible, Usagi asked her if they would one day meet the mystery guy; it was somewhat an inside joke among the senshi that this guy wasn’t real and that he actually was part of Minako’s vivid imagination.

Immediately the other blonde got really serious, signalling that that was not going to be a pleasant or funny conversation.

\- Usagi-chan, the reason why I am not entirely willing to introduce you to Saito or why I really don't talk much about him is because I fear that you would think I lost my sanity… I met him several years ago, before I knew who we were or what we were, but even then I knew he was someone special for me. And now that I met him again, I knew exactly why… - she took a deep breath, maybe to give herself some courage, perhaps to gather her thoughts… and after a few seconds, she continued – Usa-chan, Saito is Kunzite’s reincarnation. He has the same eyes, the same smiles... heck, he even walks the same way! – she then quieted again, maybe trying to guess what kind of feelings she could glimpse in her friend’s eyes, or maybe just to breathe deeply to compose herself; she then lifted her chin, looking at Usagi directly in the eyes, finding there some incredibility or even concern of her mental sanity, however, Minako continued her speech – Usagi, I have not lost my sanity! I swear it! I know I saw him die! We defeated him, and I know that his spirit is resting in your husband’s night table, but I swear to you too that it’s him… please, believe me…

\- I do. – Usagi cut her in the middle of her rant; sometime while she was speaking, Minako lowered her face so her bangs were obscuring her eyes, in order to try and hide the tears that were threatening to fall, but the moment that she heard those two precious words, words that she wasn’t even sure she would hear, she lifted her face posing her confused eyes into the blue ones of her friend, those so similar to hers and so different too… and what she found there was care, comprehension and a tint of sadness.

Usagi then hug her tightly, while Minako got overwhelmed with uncontrollable sobs, she didn’t know if her tears were from relief, happiness, or accumulated stress. Once she got herself under control, Usagi told her that she already knew about Kunzite’s existence, and proceeded to recount to her, how Mamoru found him, and how he had met him several times afterwards. She told her, that she was only waiting for Minako to confide in her with it, and that she understood her reasons for not speaking sooner.

She also told her how she knew that Nephrite was somewhere out there too, that Mamoru had already found him, and that it was just a matter of time before Jadeite and Zoicite appeared.

The sound of the doorbell woke Usagi from her musings; fortunately dinner was already done and it was only a matter of waiting for her guests. With a smile she then went to open the door in order to welcome them.

-Minako-Chan! Hiroshi-san! Welcome!

Up until today, none of the senshi knew the real identity of Mina’s love; however, Usagi knew that she would tell them when she was ready.

 

* * *

Dinner had been going on wonderfully, and even if Usagi’s food didn't look great, no one could deny that it was really tasty; the atmosphere was fun and relaxed, and jokes were fired back and forth between them with easiness. However when they were about to eat dessert, Hiroshi received a mysterious call that make him leave the table. Judging by the several expressions that crossed his eyes, this call was really important, and after some more minutes, he finally joined them, but he was sporting a huge smile in his face.

The call was from his band’s manager; it seems that there was an scouting agent during their last performance and their record label decided that, after witnessing their increasing success, Lantis Co. was ready to upgrade their music contract, so they were asking the band in order to make an appointment for the discussion of the new terms of the contract.

Obviously, Hiroshi promptly accepted to meet the agent, so they could discuss it with the company’s representatives the next week. They decided that this news were deserving of celebration, so they proceeded to open the special Sake to make a toast in his honour.

It was Mamoru who brought up the topic when he asked Saito if they already had a lawyer in which they could confide that could accompany them to this new negotiations, to which the answer was that no, they didn’t. in truth, they had never needed their services since Saito had really exploited all the knowledge gained during his business career, and that combined with his own natural ability to use every single opportunity they had, to administer their money and resources, usually led to not really needing the help of an external guy. However, this could be the appropriated time to seek the aid of one.

Hiroshi then asked if any of the presents knew a trusted one, at what Mamoru answered that he knew of someone that had a really good reputation, but that he personally hadn’t met him, but that it was one of his bests friend’s brother. He quickly wrote said friend a text asking for his brother’s services. After a few minutes, Mamoru received a confirmation text, informing him that the lawyer could see them two days later in the evening.

 

* * *

In Japanese folklore there are several legends that deal form the existence of youkais, Spirits and courses, to the existence of sacred, mystical or even haunted places.

Thus, we have the legend of the Yuki Onna, who is a beautiful black-haired woman, in white clothes, that eats those people that are lost in the snowy mountains. There are the Nure – Onago, which are spirit girls who appear near lakes and are always drenched… and they would follow you around forever if you by mistake smile at them.

Among the sacred places, we have the Ise Daijingu or the Grand Shrine of Ise, which is located within the sacred woods of Cypress trees, in the southern part of the Honshu Island. There is a shrine dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami and Touyouke Okami, and there is where all of the sacred wood for all temples nationwide are acquired.

In the other hand, we have the Aokigahara. It is a forest said to be cursed and in which many say it is haunted by the spirits of all those Japanese who year by year go there to commit suicide; it also has a record of really nasty stories of those who by any means got lost there for any amount of time.

This however does not have any detrimental effect on it’s status as one of the most important tourist spots of the nation, and therefore, many people like to organize guided tours that allowed you to explore the “safer” part of the forest.

Or, as “safe” as you could get from that kind of place.

There is a story in between the people who lives near the forest about a boy that, maybe because he was throwing a temper tantrum, or perhaps because he got curious about something, it could have been because he got distracted, but he run away from the group of tourists that were visiting the forest one day, getting lost in the forest, and staying there for little more than two weeks.

There was a very thoroughly organized search party, conformed by the efforts of the local authorities and their dogs and equipment, and lots of voluntaries concerned about the well being of the boy. After some time, they eventually found him.

The boy was quietly seated under a particularly big tree, with his sight lost to some imaginary point and completely unaware of the rest of the world. He was quickly transported to a safer place, where he got promptly examined by the team of paramedics working on an ambulance, and who later stated that the boy was really dehydrated and malnourished, but everything else seemed fine, excepting the obvious state of shock he was currently in.

He was then transported to his home’s nearest police department, where his parents got notified of the status of the boy, asking them to pick him up as soon as possible.

Everybody that once knew the boy closely could now tell you that after that, he never was the same.

Some people said that he never really got over the shock of being lost in a place like that, others, the more superstitious ones, assure that he was actually possessed by a spirit, or that he was actually visited by a Youkai. The truth is, that only Matsumoto Yuki knows what really happened.

The only problem was, to actually manage to make him speak about it, or, to understand his way of expressing his feelings of it.

Yuki had never really talked about it, and it is quite possible that he never would, but since that traumatic experience, he got a strange fascination for graphic arts… being oil and canvas his favoured ones.

He started making small drawings and paintings that had neither heads or tails, and that actually resembled Jackson Pollock’s art. Little by little those paintings began to acquire form, shape or texture, until they looked like poorly detailed landscapes. Finally, just as his mind was clearing itself, Yuki was able to paint things that looked like they belonged to a fairy tale… or to several medieval legends from around the world.

It was just that who caught the attention of a Talent Hunter, the same one that several years prior had seen the same job quality, and the same nostalgia inspired work in another artist, Yumeno Yumemi.

At first, the hunter thought that maybe this young man was simply fan imitating her work, however, after he studied his work thoroughly, he noticed several and startling differences. Where Yumemi liked to paint with lots of light and colours, his were quite more sombre and sober, where she painted fantasy setting themed, his were more realistic, more tangible; you could easily feel what the warriors in it actually felt whenever they raised their swords in order to protect their kingdoms.

Another difference was in their painting’s characters.

Yumemi liked to use female characters for her paintings, having them in different scenarios, as warriors, as princesses, in pairs, in group or alone, but always with lots of light and colour, in order to realize some degree of mysticism and to show off a certain quality.

Matsumoto on the other hand, was a little more versatile; however, he almost always had at least one of the same five warriors in different circumstances.

You could say that, one way or another, both of their styles complimented each other.

So, after a really brief negotiation, where the Talent Hunter offered the young man exposure and diffusion of his art, touring along the now famous Yumeno Yumemi, in exchange of a determinate commission for each sold painting, that series of galas were organized in several Galleries along Japan.

 

* * *

When Yumeno Yumemi was told about the new artist that would share Galleries with her in Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe, she felt extremely curious. It was common knowledge that almost all of the other painters didn’t like to be exposed with her, because they felt that her fantasy charged paintings clashed horribly with their urban landscapes or with that bizarre expressionism resurgence that was having place among several artists, so she usually presented her art alone, gaining instead complete attention on her art.

Obviously, there were some exceptions to this rule. One of these exceptions was Kaioh Michiru and her Seascapes; in Yumeno’s opinion, Kaioh was one of the most delightful people you could find in the artistic guild and her paintings were just as lovely. Also you could not fail to notice how the secret smiles that she shared with her lover each time they share a Gala, only fuelled the growing mystic aura that surrounded her. The fact that she always had a kind word of encouragement for Yumemi’s work was just a bonus.

In the rare occasion that he decided to present his recent works, she also got to share space with Mizuno Ren and his Traditional Japanese Landscapes. Mizuno Ren was always portrayed as a really serious man, although she always thought that he was that kind of people who doesn’t talk unnecessarily; rumour has it that he is divorced, and that he has a daughter in Tokyo, to whom he constantly send handmade postcards, and even thought he has never been seen with anyone that wasn’t directly involved with his works, Yumemi has a polite relationship with him.

The fact that her manager had deemed that this new guy’s work not only wouldn’t clash with hers, but that it was complimentary, had her completely intrigued. She could not really wait to meet this mystery guy.

And dear Lord, what a surprise she got, when she met him for the first time! Or, what everybody thought was the first one.

Matsumoto Yuki was a medium sized guy, really thin and with somewhat feminine features, with light brown hair and with the most startling green eyes that make you feel as if he was looking directly at your soul.

Matsumoto Yuki was also identical to the guy that attacked her some years ago, when she was at the beginning of her career, and who used to answer at the name of Zoicite. If it wasn’t because she did not see any sign of recognition in his eyes when they were introduced, she could have sworn that they were one and the same.

When she actually interacted with him, she found it to be a somewhat… interesting experience. The guy seemed to be quite serious, and his presence was always imposing; however, as soon as he became confident with the people he was interacting, you could find a really dry and sarcastic humour, a mind filled with witty retorts and a strange charm that no matter what he said and what he did, he was never annoying.

Yet, the feeling that Matsumoto and Zoicite were really the same person wasn’t going away, so as soon as she got the confirmation of when and where the Tokyo Gala was to take place, she sent an invitation to those who she thought could clear her doubts.

* * *

 

When his brother told him that one of his friends needed the services of a Lawyer, lots of different scenarios took place in his head. There were only three people that his little brother considered as such, and none of them strike him as a troublemaker, so this should be a really special occasion. When he told him that the one who needed them was Chiba Mamoru, those scenarios were reduced to intrigues and gossip at the emergency hall or possibly an accusation of medical malpractice, so without hesitation, he told his brother that he was available and that he would see his friend as soon as possible, telling him time and place for the meeting.

What he got instead did not really resemble what he thought.

He cleared his schedule for the entire evening so he could fully focus on his brother’s friend problem, because for some reason he felt as if he had to try really hard to leave a good impression on him; something inside him told him that this was going to be a really relevant meeting. And when his PA told him that his four o’ clock appointment had arrived, he took a moment to relax himself before he told them to enter.

And there he was, black hair white skin and midnight blue eyes, surrounded by an aura that inspired him calm, respect and greatness. Beside him, he found gray eyes that belonged to a platinum blonde guy, about the same height as the black-haired one and that for some reason made him feel camaraderie, confidence and a different level of respect.

Also, both men make him feel nostalgic… somehow he felt as if he had already lived this before, that he already knew this people and he really did not know why.

Unbeknown to him, Hiroshi was feeling the exact thing as Yuusaku. Something inside him told him that this encounter had already been held in another time, that the people standing here face to face had already witnessed this exact encounter in another life, in another time… that none of them were really a stranger.

It was a confusing feeling, but it wasn’t as different as what he felt when he met Mamoru, however, it was close at what he felt with Minako when he met her the second time,

For his part, Mamoru was really shocked. He already suspected that all of his Shitennou were somewhere out there, and he was hoping to meet them sooner or later, all the same, the feelings that came with each new encounter were completely indescribable. This time, finding the mischievous Jadeite, while in Kunzite’s company, took him back to the very first time that he laid eyes on the younger blonde, in another life, when they were but children, before he could have called him his guardian, before he was designated as Shitennou of the East, and before he could have called him a friend.

The first one to come out of his musings was Yuusaku, who promptly introduced himself to the others, and making them snap out and do the same, he then asked them to come inside his office so they could explain the problem.

It turned out that it wasn’t Chiba who needed his services, but his blonde friend. His name was Hiroshi Saito and he was the lead singer and front man of a Death Metal Band, who just recently got an offer for an extended and improved contract with their Record Label. They needed his services in order to make sure that everything that gets talked makes it’s way to the final contract, to supervise that everything that they say and agree was in legal and lawful and to help them deal with all matters concerning copyrights.

In Yuusaku’s opinion, it was a really interesting, complex and complete job.

Once they finished with all the details, including the band’s representation with Lantis Co. executives, they just hung out for some time together.

Mamoru was ecstatic, Saito’s and Yuusaku’s interaction with one another was an echo of the realationship that they had in the past. Kunzite’s serious and sarcastic attitude with Jadeite’s playful and mischievous one, was really funny to watch. Yuusaku was looking for any means to annoy Saito… which was accomplished most of the time, on the other hand, Saito was trying to feign indifference at the younger blonde antics, which only fuelled Yuusaku’s will to joke with him for anything… and then both of them would join forces to prank Mamoru.

Mamoru for his part could not wipe the huge smile from his face throughout the whole meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Nop, I didn’t die, nor I abandoned the story, I haven’t moved to Mars, I haven’t changed my name or whatever crazy thing you may have thought happened to me.  
> It is just that sometimes life happens… and time flies!  
> But here I am again!  
> (I had this in Spanish in time for my birthday… but I had some trouble with this version)  
> References:  
> \- Lantis Co. is an actual Record Label, they manage several pop bands, some metal ones and they are in charge of several videogames soundtracks  
> \- All of the mentioned Youkais, forests and legends are real, in fact yes, Aokigahara is like the favourite place for those who want to commit suicide… and yes, the tours, they are also true.  
> \- If you don’t remember her, Yumeno Yumemi is a character from Sailor Moon Classic, she was the host of one of the rainbow crystals.  
> \- The Chapter’s title is from a Led Zeppelin Song that I was listening while I was writing.
> 
> In other news, this chapter was actually bigger, so I cut it in a half, if everything goes according to plan, I will be posting the next one before New Year.
> 
> I would love to know your opinion, so I hope to read you soon!


	6. Still Day Beneath the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remembrances, Memories of a past life and an Unexpected Encounter

### Still Day Beneath the Sun

The reunion with the executives from Lantis Co. went smoothly and without a hitch; Hiroshi was admittedly amazed at how Yuusaku had handled himself with both the company lawyers and representatives; there wasn’t a moment when he didn’t appear complacent with everything they offered the band, however he managed to sweet talk them into better arrangements and even when he detected something that was not good for the band, he managed to convince them to change it for something different or to completely remove it from the final deal.

And for some strange reason, he felt as if he had already witnessed the young lawyer work through those deals as if they were his most important mission.

It was that same sense of recognition that he usually felt whenever he spent any length of time with Mamoru and his wife, or sometimes when he was on a date with Minako. But now, he was experiencing it with Yuusaku too and it certainly baffled him. Sometimes he even wondered if he hadn’t met them earlier in life, maybe as children and he simply forgot about them after some time.

He had always prided himself on having a very good memory, so for him this possibility seemed quite unlikely. However, unlikely did not mean impossible, and the fact that that sense of familiarity he felt around them was there made him think that maybe his firsts thought were not that off the mark.

It wasn’t important though, since he preferred to focus on the present; he just knew that, aside from having a new and better contract for his band and getting a new and really dedicated and responsible legal agent, he had just gained a true friend.

A small smile crossed his features.

As he was still lying on his bed, hearing the constant pitter-patter of the rain against his window, Hiroshi Saito thought that indeed his life was a good one… and that recently it had been even better.

Moving his head slightly to the side, he saw that he only had two hours left to prepare for his performance at the usual bar. Tossing his feet slowly to the side to get off the bed, he decided to start his nightly routine for before a show.

While he was searching for something to wear, he remembered how a couple of days ago, in the middle of a rather new guitar solo, a strange vision took him over for a couple of minutes. He had already forgotten some of its finer details; however what he could remember with striking accuracy was the image of several kids playing in the garden of a castle. He did not know how, but he knew that he was one of the boys playing. He also knew that the boys he was playing with were dear to him somehow. If he made an extra effort he could almost discern Yuusaku’s smile in one of the boys or even Mamoru’s eyes in another.

Afterwards, Hiroshi was left in utter confusion. He did not know a place like that; in fact he could almost swear that he had not even visited somewhere similar. He had never gotten out of Tokyo aside from the recent tour he made with his band, and even then, the architecture of the castle of his vision was like nothing you could typically find in Japan. Then again, there was something ominous about that vision that prevented him to simply toss it aside as a mere hallucination.

Once inside the bathroom, Hiroshi proceeded to discard the clothes he was currently wearing, taking tentative steps inside the shower; when he deemed that the water’s temperature was to his liking, he stepped fully inside, letting the water soak him entirely.

He let that water to cleanse his mind and his body, relaxing himself further and allowing his mind to rid himself of everything that he would not need to perform, fully concentrating in what he would need to make his next presentation as good as ever, if not better.

He could get back to his musings and contemplations later.

 

* * *

 

This was not the phone number he was looking for.

In fact, if he was completely honest with himself, he did not even remember that he had it. The girl it belonged to was gorgeous, he could not deny that, and maybe in another time he would have already found a way to get to know her better. This time however, he was not really interested in pursuing a relationship of that nature.

For a moment, his traitorous mind encouraged him to contact her anyway, reminding him that her father was a well known politician and that it could work in his benefit to have them amongst his acquaintances. Half a second later, he completely dismissed the idea. Not only did he remember their horrible relationship, but he also found it completely unfair to the only person that was able to make what promised to be a really tedious evening into something somewhat pleasant.

A whispered “She hadn’t called me either…” was what escaped his lips while still looking at the contact info. This in itself was even more intriguing, because, as a general rule, whenever he met girls in any kind of social gathering, they would pull the most ridiculous or outraging stunts in hopes of catching his attention. To be honest, he often found those rather annoying.

Hino Rei on the other hand was certainly refreshing. She was wary of him from the moment they met, and she even acted rather aloof towards every other guy that tried to get near her. However, once he was able to break through that barrier, he found a very interesting woman that knew exactly who she was and what she was worth in spite of his father’s fame and name.

It was refreshing indeed.

“Maybe I should really call her …” was what he thought while a small smile appeared in his face. He knew that his work load had increased considerably and that he really did not have time or real interest in pursuing a romantic relationship; the fact that apparently she wasn’t interested in it either, made the idea of contacting her even more appealing. He was in real need of someone of the opposite sex that was capable of an intelligent conversation and that was not looking for something more than what he could offer.

In the end, he did the call.

 

* * *

 

 

Mamoru was sorely convinced that, no matter how or when you asked him, for him there wasn’t a nicest view of Tokyo than the one the Observation Deck on the 52nd floor of the Mori Tower could offer. And he could even tell you that it was prettier at night.

He was also convinced that, if you actually asked the rest of the Japanese population, not even one citizen of Tokyo would say otherwise.

That said, today he was in a fairly good mood already, and the fact that he was currently enjoying one of his favourite things in life just made things better.

A couple weeks ago, while he was sorting through his mail, Mamoru found a rather fancy envelope that was addressed to him and his wife. Inside the envelope there was an invitation to an opening gala for an art exhibition. This in itself was rather surprising, although not because they did not get this kind of invitations from time to time; on the contrary, they usually get invited to this kind of events whenever Michiru was presenting a new set of paintings in town.

The surprise did not come because of who was actually the sender, but by the fact that he did not know before hand that it was going to arrive.

The sender was a friend that they had not seen in a very long time, although that did not mean that they ever lost contact with her. In fact, Yumeno Yumeni and Usagi wrote to each other regularly, usually to exchange the latest gossip about their mutual friends or some celebrity or even for the former to tell the later who she was sharing a gallery with next.

Usagi even keeps a spare key to Yumeno’s studio in Tokyo, just in case it was needed.

Later that night during dinner, Mamoru asked his wife about it, expressing his confusion that she did not mentioned it earlier, at which she answered that she in fact did not know either until that same afternoon when she checked her e-mail.

She also mentioned their friend’s insistence to attend the gala, saying that she had something really important that she wanted to discuss with them.

This got a spike in their curiosity, so even if they would have attended just because they were genuinely interested in their friend’s artistic career, that last statement made them more eager to attend.

That’s why he was now in the heart of Roppongi, with his wife tucked in his arms while enjoying the view that the Mori Tower had to offer. They were just watching the transition between lights, how the last sunrays briefly illuminated the city for the last time before it was covered in shadows for a few seconds, only for it coming to life little by little with its own lights a few seconds later.  Yes, they were enjoying a great natural display before the main show for the night began.

Once inside, they got lost themselves watching both the paintings and the other attendees. The atmosphere was warm and relaxing and from time to time, Mamoru found himself stealing glances towards the woman at his side, remembering the first time they attended a similar event.

No, he was not exactly thinking about the Princess Diamond’s ball. There was another instance where they went to a ball, that to be completely honest, was a total disaster.

In comparison to the loud obnoxious and disrespectful teenager that did not know how to hold her drinks, the young woman that now accompanies him was serene and mature, but without loosing all those endearing traits that made him fall in love with her in the first place.

They fell in love so long ago… they were young and innocent… they fell in love in the middle of really dark and hard times.

He was so lost in his thoughts and reminiscences that it took him a moment to notice his wife’s sudden halt in her steps. When he actually did, he noticed that her attention was fixed in a particular set of paintings just ahead of him. Mamoru tensed the moment he laid eyes on them.

They had always known that Yumeno Yumemi’s paintings were the echo of a past life, a life that she shared with them, so it was fairly common for them to find the familiar sightings of the Silver Millennium every time they went to her exhibitions.

This however, was a set of paintings representing life at the Golden Kingdom.

There were six different aquarelles, each of them representing a different place and time. The first four were of the Shittenou’s Castles at the exact moment of the day when they look prettier to the casual observer. The fifth one was an exact reproduction of the Golden Palace at midday, just when the sun illuminated the crystal fountain in the middle of the garden, bathing everything around it with a rainbow of colours.

The sixth was of the Prayers Room in Elysium.

And this last picture was what alerted him that something wasn’t right here, since he was sure that Yumeno’s past self never set foot on Elysium. Elysium was a restricted area, where only the royal family and the Shitennou, who were royalty in their own right, were allowed.

His eyes automatically searched for the identity card bellow the pictures, in hopes that it would give him some answers. He was rewarded with the name Matsumoto Yuki as the author of the paintings, and Mamoru suddenly knew just what their friend wanted to talk about with them.

A smirk appeared in his face when he understood that the nigh was still young and was going to be full of surprises.

 

* * *

 

There was traffic on the streets, and an accumulation of pedestrians in some of the main crossroads of the city; there was also a sense of urgency to leave working places as soon as possible in hopes of returning home, or to simply engage in some more social or recreational activities.

And in the middle of all this, there was a peaceful paradise of sorts, which by the way was ironically situated by the end of one of those busy streets. Then again, the fact that said place was not actually at floor level, but on a second floor may have some merit to it.

The place in question is called “Tsubakiya”, and is part of a dying aspect of the Japanese culture.

Coffee Houses are not exactly a new thing in Japan, even if they have more recently been displaced by new and foreign establishments that focus more in a quickly service than in the actual quality of the servings or even their preparation.

These coffee houses, commonly known as “Kissaten” are the exact opposite to the new coffe shop trends. Here they are more focused on a personalized service, the total relaxation of their clients and the real art of making coffee. In these kind of places, you could simply order a cup of coffee while you read, hang out with friends or just enjoy the vast selection of home made cakes and pastries they have to offer.

As a side note, you must know that in a place like this, is where most of the works of the renowned author, Osaka Naru came to life. In fact, a lot of them were born just here, at Tsubakiya.

As a matter of fact, whenever you chose to visit this Coffee House, you may find Naru working on something related to her next novel, maybe a rather complicated chapter, or even the outline of a plot recently devised. Today however, she was there for completely different reason, although not completely unrelated, as she was waiting for her Editor to arrive so they could discuss her newest finished work.

Their appointment was a hastily made one as they had not planned to meet for another two weeks, but since she had a sudden burst of inspiration and managed to finish her work earlier, they agreed to meet and sort out its details as soon as possible.

They agreed to meet sometime during the next hour, so Naru decided to just relax a bit and enjoy a slice of her favourite pineapple pie.

While at it, she couldn’t help but reminisce the last years of her life. To be honest, if someone had told her ten years ago that she was not going to make an active career in the jewellery industry, but an anonymous one for her Mother’s store and that she was to become a famous novelist, she would had laughed so hard at the obvious lie.

Perhaps the only person who may have actually believed something like that was Usagi.

Usagi. Dear, loving and ever cheerful Usagi; Her best friend and almost sister. Yes, Naru was aware that Usagi had other friends, her sisters-in-arms, the ones that she knew from another time, and another life, those who fight against the evil of the universe while the rest of the Earth’s population is completely unaware of the dangers lurking in the shadows. But she also knew that, because of that, her friendship with Usagi was even more precious for the both of them.

It was Naru who accompanied Usagi to the Altar when she promised forever to Mamoru, and it was Usagi who, with the aid of lots of chick flicks and more ice cream than she was willing to acknowledge, helped Naru to move on when her long term relationship with Umino ended a few months before they graduated from College.

In fact, it was thanks to that awful break up, that her first novel was born.

And it was Usagi who, after devouring the story and praising it as a “marvellous work of art”, encouraged Naru to look for an editor and a way to publish it.

In the end, Naru heeded her advice after thinking that if Usagi, who has always hated to read or to sit still for long periods of time, was able to read almost 400 pages in just four days, maybe her little novel was not so bad after all. So the hunt for an editor and a publisher began.

Four years and three Best Sellers later, Naru was again in her favourite Kissaten, waiting for her editor to arrive so they could discuss her fifth novel, which was supposed to be out early next year.

Naru averted her gaze from her cup of coffee and her mind from her memories, when she heard the small bell from the entrance. Her Editor had just arrived.

Hideki Rentaro was a young man of only 30 years old, with black short hair, and a pair of amber eyes that made a fine contrast with his pale skin.

Years ago, when Naru first met him, she was sure he was some kind of Youkai of legend. She was convinced that not normal human being could posses a pair of eyes as brilliant and pretty as his.

They met just when Naru was about to quit the search for a publishing house. At the time, nobody was really willing to risk introducing her story to the market, seeing as she was a complete stranger and that she was not adhering to the literary trend of the moment. They told her that the market was demanding more and more sappy, Vampire love stories, not ones filled with angst and drama about regular people.

Rentaro was in fact Naru’s last resort, and her last hope. Luckily, he did not turn her down, accepting to actually read her story and in case that it was not as good as she promised, he offered to give her advice so she could improve her next works. He explained that his small publishing house could not risk publishing something that was not good enough to reach at least a certain public, but that he was willing to give her a shot.

A couple of weeks later, they were finishing the registry for the Copyrights of the Novel and working out how they were going to introduce and sell it.

Naru could not suppress a smile when she saw him slowly approach her booth, or the way he took off his jacket, carefully folding it before placing it beside him while finally taking a seat. Or how, without missing a beat, he quickly ordered a cup of coffee for himself.

Once the coffee arrived, their ritual was almost the same as always. Said ritual would go like this: he would take out his copy of her latest script, he would point out the things that he thought needed to be extended, clarified or detailed, then he would give her the necessary paperwork for the Copyrights registry and then they would discuss when they would meet again to finish those details.

Once done with this, they would move on to friendlier topics for the next hour or so. It was usually Naru the one who made the prompting and the questioning to try to catch up with the latest events of their lives, and even if he was a bit reserved while talking, he was always sporting a small smile and a light in his eyes that spoke volumes of his mood whenever he was with her.

Today things were exactly the same, and before they noticed, it was time to retire. They asked their waiter for the bill and a few minutes later, they were already outside the Kissaten and the building.

What happened next, were a series of events that nobody could have predicted, and as such were extremely surprising. Just as Naru and Rentaro were leaving the building, a group of loud teenagers were rounding the corner, joking and playfully shoving themselves against each others. When one of them shove another a little bit stronger than intended, she also collided with a young man with long brown hair that was also passing by. As a chain reaction, he also collided with Naru, and since she was not paying attention to what was happening around her, she was almost thrown against the floor, and only thanks to the stranger’s quick reflexes, she didn’t actually fell.

Said stranger was quick to apologize to her, explaining what happened and telling her he was really sorry to have pushed her like that. Naru however was frozen with shock, and it was not because of the near fall. The stranger’s voice was one he recognized too well; it was a voice that haunted her dreams for a long time, and one that she was sure would never hear again in this life. When she met the stranger’s eyes, the shock reflected in her face was almost all Rentaro needed to take her back to the Kissaten until she regained complete control of herself.

The stranger was puzzled by her behaviour, but seeing that her companion was taking care of her, he quickly left them alone.

Naru however was an emotional mess, especially since her mind was working in loops, repeating over and over again the encounter with the stranger while whispering incessantly a name… _“Masato… Masato… Masato...”_

A few minutes later, when she was able to finally gather herself, she took account of Rentaro’s slightly panicked voice, asking her if she was alright or if there was something she needed. She smiled a bit, assuaging him while telling him she was O.K. that it was only the surprise push and a bit of her own tiredness playing against her.

Naru could see the clear disbelief in his eyes, but thankfully he did not press further. She could almost imagine his reaction if she were to answer truthfully… “ _Oh I am marvellous! It’s just that I just saw a guy identical to one who happened to be my ex boyfriend from Junior High. Did I mention that he was not entirely human and that he died in my arms? So he either did not die that day or he suddenly spurted a twin.”_

Yeah sure… it would certainly go well.

They parted ways after a brief hug and Naru’s words of reassurance of her well being. Her way back home, was filled with the resolution of visiting Usagi the next day. If someone had answers, it was surely her.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I’m still alive, in case you were wondering.
> 
>  
> 
> And no, I haven’t abandoned the story either.
> 
> Let’s just say that I have been quite busy, lost in other fandom and having lots of trouble trying to reconcile my views of Zoicite both in Canon and in the Fandom.
> 
> And just because of that, you would have to wait for the next chapter to actually read about him.
> 
> (Hopefully if everything goes according to plan, you won’t have to wait almost a year for that to happen)
> 
> (By the way, I also apologize for the delay in posting this, the Spanish version was posted almost a month ago, but I had problems trying to finish the translation)
> 
> References:
> 
> \- Mori Tower is situated in the heart of Roppongi, this is in the Minato District in Tokyo. There you could find almost everything, from offices to the Art Museum. If you are curious as to how the view from the Observation Deck looks like, just type “Tokyo City View” on Google.
> 
> \- Kissaten are real, and even though there are not a lot of them, the ones I found looked really cosy. I really think we should go one day and actually experience it for ourselves. I don’t really know if Tsubakiya is in a second floor, but if someone is near and wants to go and look for the place in question, it is near the Shinjuku Station.
> 
> \- The chapter’s title comes from a song by Opeth (again).
> 
> \- Hideki Rentaro is inspired by a character from a Doujinshi called “Raindrops” published by YoukaiYume at DeviantArt. If you are into Inuyasha (and into Sesskag) you should definitely look it up.
> 
> Thank you to all of you who took some time to read my little story… and thank you for your Kudos!
> 
> I would love to read your thoughts.
> 
> See you soon!


	7. Remember Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phone Calls, Revelations and the Art exhibition.

Light music was playing in the background; quiet laughs were being shared by the people walking around the gallery and by the ones that were just arriving; there was also a play of lights that, while illuminating the paintings that were being displayed, it also kept the visitors in some sort of darkness, that only added to the already magical environment of the evening.

 If you were to ask, critics and art curators would tell you that it was the perfect setting for a magnificent set of works.

And, in the middle of all this, the stars of the night were sharing few, polite smiles and kind words with all of those that had decided to approach them with praises or criticism for their work.

Standing in a corner, you could easily spot the now veteran artist Yumeno Yumemi, near the table holding the appetizers, surrounded by some of the people that had been following her career from the beginning.

On the other side of the gallery, and just beside one of the great windows showing Tokyo’s nightscape, you could see the new promise of the art world, a young, blond haired, green eyed man that answered to the name of Matsumoto Yuki.

A young man that, even while offering smiles to the people surrounding him, singing him praises on his art, was feeling nothing but contempt towards them.

To be completely honest, he mostly felt nauseous about them. He could barely stand all of their fake words and supposed admiration for his art. But most of all, he could almost feel his blood boil every time one of them told him that they “understood” the message he was trying to convey with his beautifully deep and marvellous works.

Fake. All of them were, all of their words, all of their smiles.

Because Yuki knew that none of them truly understood, none of them were really who he was trying to reach with his works. None of them could really get what he was trying to tell.

And he also knew that his message still had not been received. That it was still waiting to get to its final destination and that he had to continue until it was acknowledged.

It had been this way since several years ago when he went to that trip to the cursed forest.

Answering the idle chatter of a black haired woman with a vacuous smile, while trying to cover a wince both because of the horrible laugh the woman possessed and the memories that threatened to surface, he let himself become lost in his own thoughts.

Aokigahara is a place that every native and non native that had heard of it had come to respect and avoid to a certain degree, because even if they do not really believe in the stories shared by the Japanese oral tradition about youkais, and other supernatural events, anybody could feel the strange atmosphere that permeates the forest, and that could easily be a consequence of the multiple deaths that had happened inside this place.

Yuki however, decided that he was a brave and intelligent boy, and that he could surprise his mom by finding a shortcut to get to the end of the forest, before the rest of the tourist group his family was part of reached it.

And he certainly found something, thought it was not what he was looking for.

The moment his eyes left the road that the tourists were using, a strange feeling settled in the pit of his stomach; soon, he started to hear things that were not normal for a forest and, on the periphery of his sight, he could almost make the shapes of what appeared to be warriors and soldiers not unlike those found inside a history book.

He tried to look for them more than once, however every time he turned around to see them properly, they vanished as if they had never been there in the first place.

After a while, the previous noises began to morph into voices; he could almost distinguish the voices of what he thought were men and women alike, even some of what appeared like children voices were thrown into the mix.

And when he lifted his gaze he saw how some sort of castle was taking form just a little further inside the forest.

Little by little, and without Yuki noticing it, a thick fog started to creep out on him, covering everything in view but allowing the ghostly apparitions to finally take form in front of the boy.

Before him, Yuki witnessed several images and fantastic scenes that seemed out of a fairy tale; these were telling a story about a time long forgotten, about a now unknown land. He saw the life of a boy that strongly resembled him; saw him play on the gardens of the castle he saw earlier, and how other four boys soon joined him in his games.

He saw those same boys growing up, trading innocent games to escapades to a local bar and how they moved from playing with wood swords to actually train with real weapons. He also saw how four of these boys swore fealty to the fifth one.

He also saw how all the happiness this group of friends got interrupted by a horrible war led by a strange red headed woman.

By the end of this vision, Yuki had already forgotten most of the details of the story, its settings and the appearance of its protagonists. By the end of the vision, two weeks had already passed; he was found by a rescue team that had been looking for him non stop.

After that, nothing was the same for Yuki. He was in a constant state of confusion and distress, feeling like his head was full of static and white noise that was preventing him from thinking clearly. It was as if there was something stuck there, something that needed to be released somehow.

Something that needed to be expressed one way or another.

And suddenly one day, for no reason at all, Yuki took a sketching block and began to draw. His first attempts were not exactly smooth ones; on the contrary, they made no sense at all, and were quite messy instead. However, the more he drew, the more he cleared his mind.

It was then that the images started to come to him with better clarity.

Movement from the corner of his eye let him know that someone was slowly approaching him, shaking him out of his reverie. Glancing briefly in that direction, he saw that the one approaching him was his friend and co-host, Yumeno Yumemi and that she was talking animatedly with a couple that he had not noticed until that moment.

Think about it, Yumemi and her artworks were still a mystery to him, even after knowing her for a time now.  He somehow knew that she was no ordinary painter, that there was something more about her and that she, just like him, was trying to convey a message that was not that different from his; then again, the one time he got enough courage to ask her about it, she smiled in a knowing way and told him that her message had already been received.

At the time, he did not fully get what she was saying, but now, watching her with them, smiling in a way he had never seen before, he suddenly thought that perhaps, the couple she was talking to, had something to do with that cryptic answer.

Finally after a couple of minutes, his friend was finally at his side, inserting herself flawlessly into the conversation and quickly dismissing the black haired lady that Yuki had even started to forget was still there.

She somehow managed to engage him in a way that left no room for anybody to try and interrupt whatever the artists were discussing, before she pointed to where the couple was watching and waiting. She told him that she wanted to introduce him to some old friends and asked if he was open to meet them.

“Yuki-Kun, these are some really dear friends of mine” she pointed then first to the woman and then to the man, “this is Tsukino Usagi and this is her husband, Chiba Mamoru. They were one of my first models and they are also the inspiration to some of my paintings”

Yuki felt a myriad of emotions the moment he saw them. First, he finally understood that this couple, specially this young woman, was the one to receive Yumeno’s message. But then, when he posed his eyes on the black haired man, he felt how his world shifted on its axis in a completely unexpected way.

It felt like an out of body experience, where he was witnessing everything that happened to him without really being there. He saw the surprise that crossed the young man’s features, and how that expression quickly morphed into understanding, familiarity and even a bit of the kind of love you usually give to close friends and family.

Yuki could also see how the man extended his hand in a rather strange way that was by no means, similar to the western custom of shaking hands. However, the strange thing was when Yuki’s body answered the greeting as if it had always known how to do it.

It was then when Yuki finally got it. His message, the one that he was still unsure of its contents, was being finally received by its intended recipient. And for said recipient, the message was loud and clear.

The moment was broken once their strange handshake ended, and with it, the control over his body was returned to Yuki.

He still wasn’t sure what happened, however, he knew that a great weight had just been lifted from his shoulders; so, giving the couple a huge, blinding but sincere smile, Yuki offered to give them a special tour along the exposition, prompting them to give out their opinions and answering them in return.

The smile never left his face.

And if the smiles the other two had were just as bright, that was no one’s business anyway.

* * *

The call had been… unexpected.

But even if it was unexpected, it doesn’t mean that it was completely surprising, mostly because the moment she agreed to give him her phone number, she offered the option of one day receiving a call. To be honest, what surprised her was that it did not happen sooner.

The call was not exactly a brief one, even if it started with the typical awkwardness of first calls. Its first couple of minutes were filled with all the courtesies and politeness of first calls, fairly resembling the kind of call you make to a distant relative whenever you remember their existence and wonder if they are still alive.

However, once they finally lowered their guards a bit and started to relax, the conversation turned out really pleasant.

They started to joke with each other, sometimes with Yuusaku making a silly comment and then Rei answering the joke with something equally witty. Soon, they were bantering like good old friends, and not like the pair of strangers that met some weeks ago at a wedding.

Before they knew it, an hour was already gone, and they suddenly remembered that they still had other things that required their attention. For her, it was some unfinished temple related things; for him, the call he was actually supposed to make when he found Rei’s Number.

“You know, we should meet someday for lunch so we can talk freely and without interruptions”

And if not because Rei Knew better, she would have thought that she just agreed to have a date with him. 

* * *

Usagi had never really been a fan of Coffee. She had always been a Chocolate milkshakes and sugary drinks kind of girl, so the bitterness of a cup of coffee was not exactly a thing she would willingly choose. Then again, if you were to present her with a neatly served cappuccino with a few cookies on the side, she would be glad to accept them.

That day however, Usagi ordered a cold cappuccino with a shot of Irish cream. She was comfortably seated in a booth near the entrance, waiting for the arrival of her best friend.

She had always liked this particular Kissaten; ever since the first time Naru brought her here, Usagi fell in love with its warm atmosphere and the gentleness of the people working there.

What actually closed the deal was the amazing chocolate cake they served there.

Usagi knew that Naru had a special place in her heart for this specific Kissaten; whenever she wanted to have some of her work done, or to have a good time with her most important people, she would come here; when asked, Naru said that for some reason, this place made her feel like home.

And that was the exact reason why Usagi asked her to meet her here, after the somewhat distressed call she received the day after the Mori Tower exhibition.

Usagi had a gnawing feeling about the call, and her friend’s agitated state; she knew that it was a matter of time before it happened, though even if she had some time in advance to think of a solution, she was still unsure on how to approach the problem.

 Just as she was contemplating if she should order a slice of the infamous chocolate cake or not, Naru arrived. Her appearance was not the neat one she always presented when outside her home, but it was still composed. In Usagi’s opinion, it was the desperate attempt of someone about to fall apart, but trying not to look the part.

Usagi waved her hand to gain her friend’s attention; afterwards she signalled for a waiter to come to their table to take their orders. Usagi ordered the Chocolate cake, Naru a cold Oolong tea with a shot of milk.

Once their orders were on the table, they exchanged the expected pleasantries; when those were over, a heavy silence settled between them.

For just a moment, Usagi considered to be the one to shatter the uncomfortable silence, one that she knew was the result of the inner turmoil her best friend was experimenting. However, in the end, she decided to let the girl sort her thoughts alone and at her own pace.

It finally happened.

“Usagi-chan… I think that I finally lost my mind”. And ok, those were not the words that she had been expecting. She was preparing herself for a complaint, or a demand for explanations… she never imagined that her dear friend would end blaming her own mental health.

“No, you have not.” Was her sharp answer. Naru tried to contradict her words, but with a small wave of her hand, Usagi managed to silence her, while encouraging her to take a sip of her drink.

This helped both girls to order their thoughts so they were not a blabbering mess trying to explain things that were not completely clear in their minds.

When Naru spoke again, she did it without making a clear reference to whom she was talking about. Her voice was reduced to a mere broken whisper. “How can you say that? Usagi-chan, I saw him die in my arms; I saw him bleed and stain my clothes with his blood before disappearing. And now, several years later I find myself in front of a physically identical guy that I could have swear was him, if not for the lack of recognition I saw in his eyes”.

Naru took a breath, trying to calm herself a little. Her eyes filled with confusion and a bit of desperation tried to find the ones of the girl in front of her. “Usagi please, say something… I don’t know what to think anymore.”

Usagi understood her fully. Oh! But the irony! She could still remember her own confusion and hurt when “Endo” appeared after Kunzite kidnapped Tuxedo Mask from the Starlight Tower. And she still remembers the silent support her friend offered even if she had no idea of what was really going on.

And now, Naru was in that same position, but not quite. She knew that Naru genuinely loved Nephrite, and that she was really devastated by his sudden dead. She also understood that this was causing her something like a phantom pain that was making her remember all the good and bad things they experienced together.

Usagi thought again on how to approach the issue at hand. If she was completely honest, she was not exactly sure what really happened with the old Shitennou. They all thought they were lost for good, until Mamoru encountered Hiroshi and they stumbled upon Satoru.

They discussed several theories trying to explain their “re-appearances” their first thought was about the restoration of the Galactic Cauldron after the defeat of Chaos, but that theory was quickly discarded since the Shitennou were killed long before the arrival of Sailor Galaxia. They then considered an alteration of the time flux as consequence of Chibi-Usa’s time traveling. This theory was also discarded because of the time frames and Setsuna’s refusal to confirm or deny it.

However, the fact that the stones that contained their souls stopped to answer Mamoru’s calls gave them a hint of a different power at play.

They obviously hesitated, this theory sounding as illogical as the other ones. There’s no way that a mere rock, even if it contained a powerful soul, could create a new body out of thin air… let alone fabricate and insert their background stories.

That left them with one last theory, one that Usagi was about to explain to her friend as best as she could.

“The one you encountered is not completely who you think he is. You know, a few months ago Mamoru found himself in the presence of a guy that was the exact copy of his most trusted and cherished General in another life. Later we learnt that this guy was not only Minako’s middle school’s partner but also that he lived his life in apparent normality while we were fighting with his double”

“Ever since then, we have been encountering some of the other generals; all of them seemed to be experiencing the same circumstances, and even if they have similar personalities, the fact that they do not remember their past roles had lent them a lightness in their souls that was not there before.”

Usagi noticed the lost expression on her friend’s face and how little by little she was making mental connections and conclusions. Usagi knew her friend was smart, and that she did not need all the facts to reach the right conclusion. Usagi hid a small smile behind her drink.

“But… how could they be and not be the same person and still exist in the same plane? What happened to them?”

“We think that those that fought against us in the past were just the manifestation of a fragment of their souls that was stolen from them in times past. We think that, when Beryl came back to life, she reclaimed those fragments, giving them a new body and twisting them until they were but a mere shadow of their original selves”

Sighing audibly, hesitating in what she was about to say, Usagi gave Naru a long, searching look. She knew her friend was still struggling to comprehend everything that was just said, but unlike earlier, she seemed a bit calmer and even a bit more centred.

“The one you first met as Nephite is, as I just said, a twisted version of the old Shitennou; that being said, the Nephrite you fell in love with was someone that was closer to his original self, so in a way, you already know him”

Seeing the surprised look Naru gave her, Usagi decided to finish what she started. “So, if you want to, I may be able to arrange for you two to meet again”

* * *

 “Are you sure about this?” was the first thing Mamoru said once his wife told him about her lunch date with Naru. He didn’t outright rejected the idea, though he decided to analyse her proposal and all the possible ramifications that could come with it.

“Don’t take me wrong, you know that I really care about Naru too, but I don’t really want to see her hurt because of something we could have prevented from the start”

And even if he didn’t spelled it out, Usagi knew what that was about. Nephrite, just like the rest of the Shitennou, used to have a close relationship with her own inner Senshi; and even if she was not exactly sure if all those relationships would resume again during this new life, she understood that there was a big possibility of it happening.

Either way, Beryl’s Nephrite managed to take an interest in young Naru, even though he was not supposed to be able to develop those kind of feelings.

Usagi decided to press forward, thinking that that past development could possibly led to something positive between them.

“Mamo-chan, we have been reminded constantly that nothing is really set on stone, the future more than anything else. We can’t know if Naru and Satoru will even develop a friendship, or if they will love each other eternally. But I would like to let them decide it themselves instead of us interfering with something that is theirs to experiment.”

Mamoru finally accepted, trusting his wife’s instincts and hopping for the best. He even offered his help in setting them together so it was a smooth meeting.

“What will we do about Makoto?”

“WE will cross that bridge when we get there… if we ever get there”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be completely honest I’ve been translating this since September, so much that I am kind of hallway on chapter 8 of the Spanish version. (but time is not always kind, and there’s a time of the day my brain can barely think in my own language)  
> Anyway, I really hope you liked this, I’d love to hear/read our opinions.
> 
> References:  
> • What happened with the Shitennou is based on what happened to Mamoru during the Ail & Anne arc, where Mamoru and the Moonlight Knight were the same but separate entities.  
> • Chapter’s title comes from Iron Maiden’s song ‘Remember Tomorrow’  
> Thanks for reading! See you soon!


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